After spending a week tossing around bribes to ensure proper passage to Northrend for all and sundry in the black and red, with no unfortunate "accidents," Tarquin finally took ship north on the Iron Wager, a former military frigate out of Menethil Harbor. He put in some service in the ongoing siege of Utgarde Keep, leading a small team to assassinate a Vrykul chieftain, and then disappeared for the night claiming he was needed for a "side project."

Now hang me by this golden noose'Cause I never been nothin' but your golden gooseSilver tongue don't fail me nowAnd I'll make my way back to you somehow

She gained a wound during the scourge invasion that isn't healing properly and it's been a cause of a lot of worry for her. To try to counter this, she's immersed herself into her herbology, research and trying to do everything she can to get ready for the trip to Northrend when she's not at home tending to her energic two year olds. While she has broken some barriers and is a bit less reclusive than she was before.. the mere fact that she would sit in a tavern writing in a book and speaking to no one says to me that she really has a bit to go yet. *hehee*

Otherwise, in a earnest attempt to overcome her fear and find strengths within herself that she isn't quite sure exists, she's turning to some interesting avenues. (Nothing debaucherous. This is Alishe after all. ) But I look forward to seeing Alishe discovering some different sides to herself. It'll be a fun ride I think.

Ilanna is in Nagrand. She spends almost all of her time there, tinkering and working on her hobbies and being Jacob (Chryste's son)'s Second Mommy. She's enjoying her retirement immensely. She is wrestling with a certain amount of guilt at not, for once, being on the front lines, especially since that's where Chryste is, but the guilt is far outweighed by relief.

Ilarra said she wasn't going to Northrend. She said this over and over, and indeed it is still possible to see her walking around Stormwind in Shadowform, flirting and being a pain in the ass and managing the Silver Feather. Keen observers might notice, however, that she never isn't in Shadowform. Very keen observers might notice, if they stared pretty hard, that under that Shadowform there's currently nothing there.

On a completely unrelated note, the long distance sailing ship Travesty, recently purchased and registered under the fake name "Liarra Dawnrunner," set sail for Northrend not too long ago. Completely unrelated.

Varenna Sungale left with a detachment of other Cathedral paladins on a ship called The Blesséd, and is now content in Northrend, waging war. Being in the home of her natural enemy is giving her a lot of focus and a certain amount of tunnel vision; anything undead she meets, dies. This recently included quite a lot of Forsaken at Halgrind, but in her defense, they were being dicks. As far as her life's calling of killing dead things goes, she could not be in a better place for it.

Psychologically, she does have some angsts and confusions right now. Almost everyone is calling her "Lady Sunshine" now, even people in the regular Alliance military. Combined with the reputation and respect she seems to have gotten from her work on Quel'danas and during the Zombiepocalypse, it has NPC's recognizing her and knowing who she is before she introduces herself. She has no idea how to handle this.

And then there's Dalaran. She didn't break down in tears until she had locked herself in her room at the Hero's Welcome and made sure she wouldn't be disturbed, but she broke down in tears, you believe it.

Jolstraer Taborwynn, the big boulder-headed blunt-force trauma that he is, has awakened from a deep meditation spent in the depths of the Stormwind Cathedral. Knowing nothing of the events of the Zombiepocalypse or anything beyond the dusty confines of the tomb, he is fixated on one single thing - returning North for the final time. He has become quietly fixated on the task at hand, and is determined to spend the last of his days fighting the evils in the frozen North.

"I left my home where the dead never roseBut the streets of gold i've yet to findAnd at the end of the day all you can do is prayWithout hope well you might as well be blind, yeah be blindTomorrow comes a day too soon"

Delion is waiting it out in the Pig until his broken knee heals - with the wonders of modern technology and paladins, this isn't taking too long. He'll be in Northrend very soon whether he likes it or not.

He hasn't had the heart to care about his store (or apprentice) because after three scourge attacks in two years or so (to mention nothing of Hyjal) he's not entirely optimistic. He's just tired. Having little way to check on his store with a bung leg, he resigned himself to "WELL its likely a pile of rubble". He'll come good again soon enough.

Safira is recovering well from childbirth, but is having trouble dealing with both Elyle and their son. She's got massive cabin fever and intends to peek around Northrend as soon as she's cleared to be active and fight again. That is, after she talks Elyle into letting Avers babysit, since it's unlikely that Elyle will let her go alone.

Shizukani is staying close to home, running errands for Elyle and Saffy, cooking for Tirith (and making sure he eats it), and generally being the good housecatwomanthing. She has no urge to go to Northrend, but she wants to complete her leatherworking training. However, she feels obligated to stay at home and take care of everyone. She seems to have little time for real socialization currently.

After her sudden departure to Northrend, Bellesta has been floored by the things she has seen. Now fully understanding Arthas and his betrayal, she has begun to feel like the northmen of the Riders are a little more dear to her heart. It's a strange feeling for her, to want to care for any humans, but she's getting over the initial taboo.

Speaking of Family, she's finally beginning to realize how much of it she's buried in the last year, and loneliness is beginning to set in. The vast cold of Northrend leaves a lot of places for a bear to sit and contemplate, and avoid distractions. With winter beginning, and spring next, mating season will begin in the kingdom of the animals, and another season infertile and childless.